Combination square and level



INVENTOR attorney Jan. 2, 1951 'r. A. KlRTON COMBINATION SQUARE AND LEVEL Thomas A. Kirfon BY M Patented Jan. 2, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates generally to the class of goemetrical instruments and pertains particularly to improvements in direction indicators.

In the construction of buildings an initial operation is the determination of levels for the construction of a level foundation. This is ordinarily done by the placing .of stakes or boards at corners of the foundation and leveling a line running between such boards by means of a spirit level. In other cases use is made of a transit. In both of these methods of leveling the foundation line, inaccuracies occur.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved device for setting level lines between the batten boards which are set into the groundat the different corners of a foundation, whereby an absolutely accurate leveling of the foundation line is possible with a minimum of effort.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved leveling device comprising a combination of a steel square, cord and plum bob.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part of the specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to a strict conformity with the showing of the drawing but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in elevation showing the present invention, in applied position upon two batten boards.

Figure 2 is a view in top plan of the structure shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 shows the manner of using the invention close to the ground surface.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, Fig. 1 illustrates the device of the present invention and a method of using the same for marking or indicating a level elevation plane on two batten boards set up at two corners of a foundation line.

In this figure the numeral It] generally designates the ground line and the numerals H and I2 designate two batten boards which may represent two corner positions of a building foundation line or location.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a steel square l3 of a type commonly employed by carpenters. Such a square has a long arm I4 and a short arm I 5 extending right angles thereto from one end thereof.

At the joined ends of the two arms of the square there are provided the two apertures it which are spaced apart along a line extending longitudinally oi the long arm :4 and adjacent to the outer longitudinal edge thereof. At the outer or free end of the long arm i i in line with the two apertures it a gauge line or mark ii is made on the square arm or blade.

At the outer end of the short arm or blade l5 a gauge line or mark i8 is located which is spaced from the adjacent outer longitudinal edge of the arm Iii at the same distance as the opening 56 which is nearest to this edge. Thus a line drawn from the gauge line I? through the two openings it will be perpendicular to a line drawn. from the gauge line 18 to that one of the openings which is nearest to the outer longitudinal edge of the arm or blade Hi.

In addition to the openings iii, the arm or blade is of the square has an opening l9 formed therethrough at the inner end of the gauge line It] to be used in the operation of setting a level line near the ground surface.

In association with the steel square it there is used the line 2!] upon one end of which is secured the plumb bob 2i. This line is threaded through the two openings [5 in the manner illustrated so that a portion of the line lies along the face of the short blade I5 and another portion may be stretched out to extend along the face of the long blade or arm Id of the square.

The free end of the cord 20 is attached to a nail or other securing element 22 which is fastened in one batten board, for example, the board I2, and the square is then placed against the other batten board in the manner illustrated, that is, with one blade or arm extending horizontally and the other one extending vertically and downwardly. A knot 23 is made in the line between the openings 16 and the user of the device then pulls the square away from the fixed point 22 so as to draw the horizontal portion of the line taut. B then raising or lowering the square the horizontal and vertical portions of the line may be brought into position to lie over the adjacent gauge lines H and [8 so that the vertical part of the line to which the plumb bob is attached will be perfectly vertical and directly in front of the gauge line l8. When this condition is obtained then the portion of the line running from the batten board H to the board l2 will be perfectly horizontal and a mark may be placed on the batten board I! as indicated at 24 to designate the same level as the point 22 on the other board.

Where it may be necessary to strike a level line near the surface of the ground the device may be used in reverse, it being understood, of course, that both faces of the square blades or arms will be provided with the gauge lines I! :and 18. This reversed position for the use of the device is hown in Figure 3, wherein the long arm'or blade of the square is disposed in close proximity to the ground and the short arm is disposed vertically. When used in this pos'ition two separate lines 25 and 2B-may be used although, as will be readily apparent, it would be possible to use a single line as in the first described manner of using the instrument. I

In this second use of the instrument, the line 25, assuming that two separate lines are-used,

'has an end extended through the opening I9 anda knot may be formed on theend to keep the same from escaping from the opening. The plumb bob 21is then positioned withitspoint in closeproximity to the outer one-of the two openings It, by which is meant that opening nearest to the outer longitudinal edge of the short arm or blade] 5. The square isthen adjusted until the point of the plumb isv directlyover thecenter of the outer opening: l6 whereupon the lower arm or blade [4 of the square will be horizontal. The line 2B, attached at one end to the innenone of t'heopenings 16 and at its otherf end to a post, or other suitable taching means, not shown, will then be brought into position across the gauge men and will be perfectly ho'riz'ontalr A postorstalie army then be driven down to the level of the line 26 to fi x such level. I I I From the foregoing it will be. readily apparent that there is provided in the presentjinyentioh a; simple and inexpensive instrument by means of which relatively long foundationahd other lines may be quickly leveled with extreme. ac,- curacy. I

'While in the description of the ii'seof the ih strument asshcwn in Figure 1 ithas been stated that the cord 20. is in a single piecee'xt'ended through the two openings 16, it will be i'e'adily apparent that although this isthe. preferred manner of using the device, such cord may be in two sections, one of which might be secured in one opening l6 and attached to the fixed point 22 and the other secured at one end in the other opening l6 and having the plumb bob attached to its other end. Accordingly, in referring in the claims to a pair of cords it is to be understood that each of the two sections maybe considered'as separate cords-,aswellia's parts of a single bottle I claim:

1. A leveling instrument comprising a square having, two right angularly related blades, a gauge" line upon a side face of each blade adjacent to thefree end thereof, one of the blades having a pair of apertures formed therethrough at its inner end, the apertures being spaced apart on a line extending lengthwise of the said one of the blades, the line upon which the apertures, are located being parallel with the outer edg or the said one of the blades and passin through the gauge line at the outer end of the said-one of the blades andoperpendicular to a line. drawn from one of the apertures through the other gauge line, cord sections each engagingat one end in an aperture, and a plumb bob attached to the other end ,of one, of the cord sections. I II 2. A leveling instrument. of, thev character stated in claim 1 wherein the. otherone of the blades has an aperture, therethrough adjacent to its free, end and in a line passingfrom the adjacent gauge lineto (meet the first mentioned a ertures, II I I I I I THOMAS, A. KIR'IO-N.

REFERENCES CITED.

The following references are of record in the file oft-this patent;

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number. Name Date 183,38? Essex Oct. 17,1876 299,625 Covell JuneS, 1884 339,682 Nilsen Apr. 13, 1886 773,996 Shoop Nov. 1, 1904 819,350v Janssen. May 1, 1906 

